Judging Riku
by Conjure Lass
Summary: Weeks have passed since Sora sealed Riku in Kingdom Hearts. Now, he's found his friend, chained and awaiting trial in the dungeon of a madman. Can the two discover their feelings for one another and set Riku free in time to enjoy them?
1. Default Chapter

Story Title: Judging Riku

Disclaimers: I don't own Kingdom Hearts…I would do awful things with the boys if I did. They would scream for my tender mercies…shudder

Warnings/Author Notes: This is YAOI! That mean's male/male lovin'! There will be sexual situations (aka lemon) later in this fic, though not now. So if you don't like guys getting it on…go the hell away. Thankie!

_Story Start_

Like a feather upon the surface of the water, barely disturbing its tranquility, the soft sound of a click filled his ears. Eyes squeezed shut tight; he laid his hand upon the surface of the locked door trying desperately to feel the person on the other side. There was nothing for it. He was sealed here and the only heartbeat he could hear was his own, now drumming endlessly in his throat.

Slowly allowing his aquamarine gaze to open, he turned his attention to his companion who was now chasing off the last of the heartless from their immediate area. At least now they'd be able to breath, to take stock of their situation. A barely audible sigh escaped his lips, fogging the cold air within Kingdom Hearts.

"Riku? Riku! Are you all right?" The voice broke through. It sounded slightly frustrated; as though this weren't the first time he'd asked this. Riku blinked a few times, one eyebrow shooting towards the sky as he realized he was not all together certain how long he'd been randomly staring. He could already tell that time moved differently here behind this damnable door.

"Fine," came his short reply as he called his own keyblade to his hand. True, he wasn't overcome with darkness anymore, but this blade was his alone and would always belong to him…a dark piece of his heart that he could hold in his hand. A reminder, always, of his fall from grace.

"Don't worry…Sora will open the door," Mickey said, his voice calm though his eyes spoke of slight fear. Reaching out, the king laid his hand on Riku's shoulder, smiling as though to reassure the young man. Riku, however, was far beyond consolation.

"Sora…will open the door," Riku repeated, his own voice sounding forced as he pushed the words out of his mouth. Did he believe those words? Did he, the one who had caused all this mess to begin with, believe that Sora would somehow come to his rescue? A part of him wanted to, but the vast majority of his being was screaming that not only was Sora not coming, but that Riku really didn't deserve it anyway.

So, fighting back the sting of tears that were threatening to overwhelm him, he shook his head and forced out a gentle smile.

"Yeah, Sora's coming…"

_Change in Perspective_

The soft grass tickled his ear as he rolled onto his side, eyes the color of autumn skies opening to greet the day once again. He'd been having a lovely dream, pale hands running up his sides while full lips pried his own mouth apart. He had just heard his own voice sigh the name of his seducer when a sharp poke to his ribs had jutted him into wakefulness.

"Sora! Sora! You were calling out in your sleep!" came the voice of his friend Donald. Pouting slightly at being so rudely dragged from his fantasies, Sora pulled himself into the sitting position. Why couldn't they have let him sleep just a little while longer? Long enough for those skilled hands to properly rid him of his clothes…long enough to…

Glancing down at himself, Sora blushed slightly and realized that it was probably a good idea that the dream hadn't made it that far.

"I," he began, eyes stealthily looking everywhere but the feathered creature in front of him. "I need to go get cleaned up, I feel nasty."

With that he rose to his feet and walked quickly through a grove of trees towards the sound of rushing water. He could have sworn he heard the sound of snickering as he left his companions to wait for his return, but Sora couldn't really blame them. He was rather certain that he'd been walking oddly when he'd departed…and hey, he would have laughed too.

'Why now?' he thought as he stripped his shirt over his head and threw it into a pile along with his pants and the rest of his belongings. The young Keyblade master's breath froze in his throat as he waded naked into the stream, instantly feeling his morning hard-on begin to disappear. Thank god…that sort of embarrassment was hardly what he needed.

But now that one problem had been eased it allowed other nagging dilemmas to bubble to the surface. Why now? Sora had spent years on the island with the older boy and the silver haired menace had never invaded his dreams like this before. Now it was a nightly occurrence, with each dream becoming increasingly more explicit. And now, to top things off, Sora was apparently calling for Riku in his sleep. Things were going downhill fast.

Throwing his wet hair back and out of this face, Sora allowed himself a small grin. Though he'd never been good at hiding things, his infatuation with Riku was somehow one that he'd managed well. Until now apparently. Now, blue-green eyes the color of ocean plants haunted his every thought, spurring him on to find his childhood friend, if only to know that he was alive. Sora wasn't so naïve as to think his crush would be returned.

"Whoa! Sora! Sorry bout that!" Goofy's voice shot out from the shore, making Sora nearly scream. Wouldn't do for the savior of worlds to scream like a little girl, would it?

Not turning around, he allowed the waist high water to cover his body as he called over his shoulder. "Well, I said I was going to clean up...what did you think I was doing?"

"You took so long that we started to get worried!"

Raising one eyebrow at this, Sora finally turned around and crossed his arms over his chest, wet cinnamon colored hair falling over one eye. Had he really been in here that long? He'd been known to allow his mind to wander from time to time, but losing whole spaces of time? Never. He had to find Riku and the king soon, before he started to wander off in the middle of the day and not come back for hours.

Padding gently out of the water (and enjoying Goofy's yelp of surprise at his boldness) he slowly began to pull on his clothes. It had been weeks since he'd sealed the door to Kingdom Hearts, and for weeks they had been walking down this damn road.

Well, at least now they had a goal.

About two weeks previous, they had somehow received a letter, a short note, telling them to keep going, that there was a destination at the end of their endless walking. And so, now, they journeyed with a purpose, and though Sora couldn't quite explain it yet, he knew that someone was waiting for them. Arms were waiting to wrap them in comfort. Hearts were holding out against the darkness that surrounded them.

And everyday they came closer to that place.

"Are you all right?" Donald asked as they began to walk again. Eyes half shut in contemplation, Sora glanced at the duck. Did he look all right? Sighing in answer to such a stupid question, he looked down at his shoes and tried to think of something other than the gravel that passed endlessly below his feet. Finding an appropriate subject, Sora was surprised to feel a sharp tugging on his sleeve and a loud voice in his ear. Why did Donald always have to be such a spaz?

"What is it!" Sora snapped, not able to stop the sharp tone that his words took on. He'd just gotten to the good part again.

"Forgive me for interrupting your sullied thoughts, but I thought you should see that."

Confusion creasing the young man's brow, his gaze followed the pointing feather to a light in the distance. A brilliant light. Graceful towers spiraled into the sky, reaching high above the houses and buildings that lay below, while a wall of shining ivory surrounded the entire expanse. Each building, each set of stairs, seemed made of shimmering sunlight turned solid, and Sora nearly had to shield his eyes from the brilliance.

Stunning.

"Wow," was all that came from Sora's half-agape mouth, his feet moving more quickly without him meaning them to. Before he knew what had happened, he and his two companions stood at the massive gates of the city, glancing around not quite knowing what to do next.

Sora,

Don't' give up hope. You will find what you seek. I'll hold him for safe keeping until your arrival.

KM

P.S. Is he always this fussy, or am I just lucky?

Sora smiled widely, even white teeth gleaming in his boyish face as he began to look around for a way to open the gates that barred him from his obvious goal. He could hear the bustle of numerous people all shoved into a very small space beyond the doors, and without meaning to he suddenly found himself growing overly annoyed. Why wasn't anyone even bothering to watch the doors? Any city with this much security certainly had to have guards at the gate…so why wasn't anyone calling to them? What the hell was going on?

"Hel-loooo! Is in anyone in there!" he called, growing more impatient by the moment. Donald and Goofy began instantly to try to shush him as he hit the shining white doors with his fist, but he was not to be deterred. He was absolutely certain that if he annoyed the living crap out of someone long enough that they would open the doors for him. Granted, he might be going into the city in chains…but hell, he'd be in there right?

"Honestly!" came a voice from high above them. "You'd think that someone who is so pure of heart would have a little patience."

Sora's eyes shot up to the source of the sound, not finding anything to settle his gaze upon until the gates of the city were flung open wide, revealing the person who the voice belonged to. An ivory cloak covered large ears, and a soft smile that spoke of both kindness and wisdom shone at them from beneath large eyes.

"Your Highness!" both Donald and Goofy cried in unison, racing forward a few steps and bowing, leaving Sora to stare.

His emotions, while at first happy and jubilant, were now a jumble. All at once he felt a sense of relief at seeing the king, but at the same time was confused and sad. Where was Riku? The letter had been very clear that King Mickey and Riku were traveling together…so where was he now. There was no way that Riku wouldn't have come to greet his best friend after all that had happened. There was simply no way.

"Where's Riku?" Sora's voice came out soft, nearly choked. He hadn't meant to sound so weak, but his heart was beating frantically in his chest, and he couldn't seem to stop the racing fear that surged through him every time his thoughts would settle on his silver-haired rival.

The king's only response was to glance down at the ground, then up at Sora's sapphire eyes, making the younger man grow even more annoyed and afraid. He was about to ask again when their gazes locked, and Sora could read a certain pain in the ruler's eyes. Something was wrong, and before the Keyblade Master could stop himself he was coming forward in long strides.

What on earth was wrong with him?

"What happened to him?" Sora said, his voice surprisingly even. The king merely shook his head, running his hand over his eyes as if tired. When Sora really took a good look at the king, it became apparent that he hadn't really slept in a while. Something had happened that was making him an insomniac. That couldn't be good.

"I'll explain when we're alone. Just follow me for now and don't ask anymore questions…okay?"

Nodding numbly, though inside he was seething with instant anger, Sora followed him down a small street towards a two story home in the center of a flowered courtyard. Little did he know that deep below his feet, hundreds of feet away, a young man with eyes the color of ocean water was chained in place, unaware that help was finally on the way.

Soft tears fell down the young man's face, and he couldn't hold back the tiny whimper that accompanied them.

"Sora…"


	2. When Flowers Bloom

Disclaimer 1: I don't own Kingdom Hearts…but I do borrow the boys every once in a while to do dirty things to them.

Disclaimer 2: This is (once again) yaoi…that's male/male lovin' for all of you not in the know…now you know.

Chapter Two: When Flowers Bloom…

"They knew him before he ever made it through the doorway," King Mickey said, pacing the lavish living room over and over again. Though Sora wasn't exactly certain, he could have sworn the carpeting was starting to show a small path where the King's feet continued to step. It had been nearly an hour, and this was the sixth time Sora had made him repeat the story…the king had to be getting tired of repeating himself over and over.

Well too bad.

"We fought for what seemed like hours…then we eventually came to this place," Mickey said softly, as if remembering all the battling they had gone through. His eyes were so weary, Sora noticed, as though he hadn't slept in days. If Riku was chained up somewhere then he had better damn well not be sleeping.

Sora sat quietly in the corner, brown hair falling onto the hands that were currently holding his face. Nothing King Mickey said was helping, and no amount of mulling it over in his head was easing the throbbing in his chest. It didn't seem believable…it didn't seem plausible. What the hell…

"I explained who we were," he continued, sitting down hard on the piano bench that was nearest him. "But they already knew him…they knew the darkness had once possessed him fully. I tried to help…"

Then he trailed off. Violent shaking was consuming Sora's body, but somehow he was managing to hold it back. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He was supposed to find his friend in one piece, free of the darkness and ready to go home. Riku was supposed to give that familiar smile that Sora had grown to love and challenge him to a race on the beach…this wasn't supposed to happen.

But here he was anyway.

"They shackled him," his voice was very soft this time, as though afraid to upset Sora with what happened next. There really wasn't any point in being tactful…Sora was already about to cry as it stood. "They took him underground and I haven't seen him since. But I know he's awaiting judgment."

Head shooting up violently, Sora's blue eyes flashed with an emotion that he didn't often feel. Anger. Yes, this was seething bitter anger. How could someone treat his best friend like this? He was the Keyblade Master…he should have been able to do something. But here he was, sitting in a fucking living room, nearly crying. Life was odd like this…

"Judgment?" he cried, standing up quickly. "Judgment for what? For not being able to control the biggest baddie ever? For basically being possessed? It wasn't his fault!"

Donald made a soft scoffing noise at that statement, shifting from one webbed foot to the other. Goofy looked up at the ceiling as though something on it was very interesting, trying as hard as he could to ignore the fowls behavior and pretend he didn't really exist. He knew as well as everyone in the room did that Donald was really great at setting the young man off…but this time, apparently, he had pushed the wrong button. Without any prior warning, Sora was moving, walking over to the duck in quick strides until he was looming over Donald's feathered head.

"What was that about?" he sneered, using what small height advantage he had to lean down. "If you have something to say, you should say it!"

Donald, though a bit smaller than Sora, didn't back down. "Fine! I think he was weak! He should have fought harder…he was supposed to be the Keyblade Master to begin with!"

Suddenly, two large ears came between the pair, effectively stopping Sora from taking his Keyblade and whacking the small fowl with it over and over again. While most of him was glad that the king had stepped in, a small part was upset that he couldn't find Donald in an empty hallway and beat the living shit out of him.

"Sora! Donald!" Mickey said, putting a hand on each of them. "Enough! Donald, keep your beak shut from now on unless you've got something worthwhile to contribute. Sora…why don't you go cool down."

Flashing one more dirty look in Donald's general direction, Sora flung the front door open and walked outside. Glancing back at the small house he'd been in, he mused on how nice it must be to be a king. Mickey had been given this house as a welcoming present when they arrived…perhaps they were trying to make up for locking up his friend.

Levis Pono…the place of light. Sora walked down each street slowly, eyes scanning each house in turn, each shop when he came by. Once you got used to the never ceasing glow that the town gave off it didn't seem so impressive. Just another city…just another place for people to gather together. Then again, knowing that his best friend was chained somewhere below his feet didn't make him want to run around and hug the locals.

Sora's eyes moved to the castle, the main focus point of the town. If Riku was anywhere he was there. Apparently, the ruler of the city living within those walls, making certain the darkness and heartless were kept at bay. No exceptions. If you had too much darkness within you than you weren't allowed in. In Riku's case however, he wasn't being allowed out.

Sora sighed, remembering how he had asked over and over how they could possibly tell how much darkness was within someone. Each time he had asked, King Mickey had merely shrugged, mentioning something about a garden of glowing orbs within the castle. Apparently that was the key…

And he was the master? Right?

Hours later, the sun was beginning to set, sending shards of orange light over the expanse of the city. Somehow, though he didn't know how, his feet had brought him to the doors of the palace. Eyes moving skyward towards the banners flapping gently in the breeze, he raised his hand up and knocked on the door. He wasn't really expecting to be let in, but he wanted to be inside that castle. He wanted to know that he was as close to Riku as he could get for now. Minutes passed, and Sora sighed…he should have known better than to think that someone would answer the door.

Just as Sora was about to turn around and go back to the King's house, a small woman pulled the massive door open and peeked around. "Yes, may I help…you. You! The Keyblade Master! Master Phineaus knew you would come! Please…come in!"

It took a great deal of effort for her to pull the door the rest of the way open, but once she did Sora quickly walked in, letting his eyes wander over the walls and decorations. If he had thought that the inside of the castle was impressive, it was nothing compared to what lay within. Each wall, each fixture was like gazing on crystal…crystal that glowed and pulsed with its own life.

Sora walked slowly, hardly paying any attention to the nervous chatter flowing from the girl's mouth. No, his eyes were all for his surroundings. It was like being in a zoo, where each wall wasn't solid, but made of a thick sheet of glass, or in this place's case crystal. He was about to ask his guide what on earth the master of the castle needed glass walls for when he saw something that made his jaw drop and his heart race.

Behind each pane of glass, unmoving and deceivingly beautiful, was a young man. As Sora's eyes flew open wider, he placed his palm on the nearest piece of glass, pulling away quickly when it pulsed under his hand. It couldn't possibly be real, but it was too perfect to be anything but. The boy before him had been beautiful, Sora decided, his gaze wandering over the graceful body. That body was posed just so, back arched upward like a cat, eyes closed as though locked in ecstasy

Maybe he was.

Now he was frozen, or perhaps encased would be a better word, in clear glass. But how on earth would you get someone to situate their body in such a way when they knew they were about to be frozen in glass? Who would submit to such a thing? A small gasp finally escaped Sora's open mouth as he pulled his guide towards him.

"What…who is he?"

The girl gulped as though afraid to answer, glancing at the young man then back at Sora. "He was judged…and found guilty. When our master grew tired of him…well, you see what happened."

She gestured to the numerous cases, each one containing another man. Each one poised, frozen, in absolute pleasure, their faces enraptured. It was enough to make Sora wretch.

"I…this…is…oh god…," he stammered out, trying to get out of the hallway as quickly as possible. So, this was what happened to the judged. Sora's breath nearly died in his lungs as he imagined Riku naked and encased eternally in shining crystal. Usually, the thought of him naked would be a pleasure, but now, it only spurred him onward to find Riku and set him free.

"Please," the girl said, hand moving to Sora's shoulder, "try not to get upset. Your pretty friend has yet to be judged."

Head falling slightly forward, Sora's breaths were coming in more and more rapid pants. What would he do if he couldn't save Riku? Would he be able to live with himself knowing that his best friend was sealed somewhere, unable to move, to be stared at naked and alone? Probably not. He'd rather be sealed with him...maybe they'd make a nice statue together…

"Come," she said softly, leading him away from the endless hallways and glittering bodies. Sora followed numbly, each step echoing in the eerie silence of the marble staircases and alabaster walls.

Passing through a large entryway, the last lingering shards of sunset pressed onto his face, making his jaw drop open again, only this time it was in delight. The garden they had entered was magnificent, like walking into the lushest of rainforests, warm and humid. Deep purple flowers dripped from long vines, writhing up the trunks of the trees to mingle with the leaves. Equally as vibrant flowers littered the ground and floated into the fountains. As Sora leaned his head back slightly, he grinned and toed off his shoes, walking barefoot through the soft grass before sitting down on the edge of a fountain.

"Do you like the garden?" the girl asked softly, still standing in the doorway. It was as though she had noticed Sora's change in behavior and didn't want to disturb him. That was fine with him.

Not bothering to respond to such a dumbass question, Sora reached out one finger to a particularly lovely yellow flower floating in the water. When the tip of his finger pressed against a petal, the center of the bloom began to glow, sending waving shadows into the water and onto Sora's surprised face. As the glow intensified it began to meld together until a floating orb the size of a golf ball hovered above the surface of the water.

_"It's like a garden…a garden of light and glowing orbs…"_

Smiling gently, Sora moved his fingertip to the surface of the sphere. At first it was only a warm thing under his skin, until without warning a tingling began at the base of his spine, moving upwards through his body with a familiarity that was at once frightening and comforting. The smell of the ocean was all around him, the soft sea breezes were blowing against his face…it felt like home. Destiny Islands. In fact, touching the sphere made him feel like he was embracing a friend…the same friend he was so desperate to find.

"Riku…I feel Riku…" he said, his voice rising with each syllable as a smile began to split his face. When he closed his eyes it was almost as though he was in Riku's arms, could nearly feel the older youth's body next to him.

So this was what it was like to feel inside someone's heart…

_Change in Perspective_

"If you'd only give up, this wouldn't have to be so bothersome," Phineaus said, shaking his head in disappointment.

A few feet away from him, chained to the wall and shivering, was a very disturbed Riku. This torment had been going on for hours, and with each piece of clothing ripped away had gone another piece of his soul, until he felt as though he were lifeless hanging from these steel shackles wearing only a tattered pair of pants.

"I told you," he said, his voice soft, but still proud. "You can tempt me all you want, but I'm not going to just give in…and I'm fucking cold, could I have the rest of my clothes back?"

Riku grinned at his own cheekiness, still not looking up at the man in front of him. He knew what Phineaus looked like anyway. It was always the same dark blond hair over deep blue eyes that looked at him as though he were an object…something to be taken and swallowed whole. It was the same face that had fallen in shock when he'd first seen Riku walk into the dungeon with five men holding him still. That one look had told him more about this disgusting man than any false words that ever flowed from him.

A strong hand was place on his chin, forcing Riku to look up at his captor. "You'll eventually learn your place…The Judge will surely find you guilty. Then you'll have no choice but to submit. But you could save yourself a lot of trouble if you'd just give in now…why, I'd be prepared to offer you the world if you'd only give in."

Riku was about to throw up, the feel of the man's hands on him nauseating, when he suddenly felt warm. It was as though someone's hand was reaching dead into his body and caressing his heart…like being wrapped in heat, like being with Sora. Riku's eyes shot open wide, staring straight through the man in front of him to feel the presence within him.

"Sora?" he whispered, voice shaking with excitement. "Sora? Are you there?"

Suddenly both hands, both physical and spiritual, were gone. "What are you babbling on about boy? Thinking about someone else? I'm heartbroken."

So with a parting backhand to Riku's face (which he barely felt due to his racing thoughts) Phineaus was gone, leaving Riku alone again. Only now there was a rushing in his body that could only be described as pure happiness and a smile on his face that hadn't been there in weeks. Sora was here…Sora had come. He knew it, he could feel it. Now if there were only some way to let Sora know where he was…

Well…one thing at a time…

_Change in Perspective_

Deep within the castle, in a room with no windows, stood a large machine. A machine that could easily look inside the heart of a human being and see the darkness and the light within. Phineaus stood and stared at said machine, grinning slightly as it beeped and whirred to life, knowing that its master had arrived once again.

"**Master-all-is-prepared-for-the-silver-one's-trial. Any-new-orders?**"

Phineaus smiled. He loved his job…but he loved power and control more. "No, Judge…just as long as the results are as we discussed…"

"**All-is-prepared**."


End file.
